York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius, 08 Aug 2005
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Certainly, they are the least understood.

This is partly because of the notion, common today as it was amongst Blake's contemporaries, that the poet-artist was, at best, an ultrasensitive whose work was not consciously or methodically thought out but merely reflected his changeable mood at the time of writing. Either that or he was a lunatic, and his work the ramblings of a lunatic; this view is, unfortunately, still common today.

Ackroyd's examination of Blake's life is important in that it aids in expelling this illusion, both by relating the nature of Blake's time and place to the artist's output, and by being willing to engage Blake on his own ground. For example, Ackroyd at times willingly entertains the veracity of Blake's frequent visions, which is an engaging angle for the reader seeking to penetrate fully into Blake's world (and an attitude less likely to be found in a more academic study). At others, he substitutes the notion that Blake's imaginative faculties were of such a magnitude as to invade his ocular sense: he literally saw what he fancied. Either way, Blake is far from a madman and closer to a genius; consequently, one can feel the grain of his life - as he lived it - passing under the fingertips as they turn the pages.

This biography is that rare thing amongst its kind that allows the reader to engage with the subject's life, as well as observe it; at times, it allows moments of genuine love for the pugnacious Londoner who remains so little understood. Alone, it will not grant an understanding of Blake's poetry or art, particularly his prophetic works; this is not Ackroyd's intention. Rather, it allows a reader (or, more accurately, 'the viewer') of Blake's work, either experienced or virginal, to approach them with the attention, engagement and willingness to understand that they both require and deserve.

a little too fawning to its subject matter, 01 Nov 2003
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.

I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.

I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.

Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

Even-handed and insightful, 29 Mar 2001
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.

Good on Blake, down on style, 26 Feb 2001
Ackroyd has a grand reputation as an auteur superbe, but in this book he finds himself to close to the subject to allow his normal objectivity to flow. Indeed, one might even say that Ackroyd is in love with Blake but at odds with his work

York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius, 08 Aug 2005
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Certainly, they are the least understood.

This is partly because of the notion, common today as it was amongst Blake's contemporaries, that the poet-artist was, at best, an ultrasensitive whose work was not consciously or methodically thought out but merely reflected his changeable mood at the time of writing. Either that or he was a lunatic, and his work the ramblings of a lunatic; this view is, unfortunately, still common today.

Ackroyd's examination of Blake's life is important in that it aids in expelling this illusion, both by relating the nature of Blake's time and place to the artist's output, and by being willing to engage Blake on his own ground. For example, Ackroyd at times willingly entertains the veracity of Blake's frequent visions, which is an engaging angle for the reader seeking to penetrate fully into Blake's world (and an attitude less likely to be found in a more academic study). At others, he substitutes the notion that Blake's imaginative faculties were of such a magnitude as to invade his ocular sense: he literally saw what he fancied. Either way, Blake is far from a madman and closer to a genius; consequently, one can feel the grain of his life - as he lived it - passing under the fingertips as they turn the pages.

This biography is that rare thing amongst its kind that allows the reader to engage with the subject's life, as well as observe it; at times, it allows moments of genuine love for the pugnacious Londoner who remains so little understood. Alone, it will not grant an understanding of Blake's poetry or art, particularly his prophetic works; this is not Ackroyd's intention. Rather, it allows a reader (or, more accurately, 'the viewer') of Blake's work, either experienced or virginal, to approach them with the attention, engagement and willingness to understand that they both require and deserve.

a little too fawning to its subject matter, 01 Nov 2003
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.

I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.

I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.

Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

Even-handed and insightful, 29 Mar 2001
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.

Good on Blake, down on style, 26 Feb 2001
Ackroyd has a grand reputation as an auteur superbe, but in this book he finds himself to close to the subject to allow his normal objectivity to flow. Indeed, one might even say that Ackroyd is in love with Blake but at odds with his work

Marlowe at his best, 03 Sep 2001
This is a powerful play whereby Marlowe examines the humiliations that the King has to suffer due to his homosexuality. The reader begins to understand the great difficulty involved in balancing personal and political concerns, especially in centuries past. It sweeps the reader away into history, politics, corruption and controversy which exemplifies Marlowe at his best. I would recommend this play to anyone who has an interest in Renaissance culture or has enjoyed the works of Webster and Middleton & Rowley.

Moving and powerful, 06 Dec 2000
Marlowe's play about the gay king of England seems incredibly modern in its sympathetic representation of a homosexual man. Sure, Edward may get 'punished' for his crime (in the most hideous way imaginable), but Marlowe's sympathies are clearly with Edward, whose love scenes with Gaveston are poetic and touching. By contrast, Edward's overthrower, Mortimer is a cold-blooded villain, and he too gets his comeuppance. Compare this play with the supposedly modern film 'Braveheart', which vilifies Edward II's homosexuality, and you can see that Marlowe is ahead of his time even now.

York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius, 08 Aug 2005
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Certainly, they are the least understood.

This is partly because of the notion, common today as it was amongst Blake's contemporaries, that the poet-artist was, at best, an ultrasensitive whose work was not consciously or methodically thought out but merely reflected his changeable mood at the time of writing. Either that or he was a lunatic, and his work the ramblings of a lunatic; this view is, unfortunately, still common today.

Ackroyd's examination of Blake's life is important in that it aids in expelling this illusion, both by relating the nature of Blake's time and place to the artist's output, and by being willing to engage Blake on his own ground. For example, Ackroyd at times willingly entertains the veracity of Blake's frequent visions, which is an engaging angle for the reader seeking to penetrate fully into Blake's world (and an attitude less likely to be found in a more academic study). At others, he substitutes the notion that Blake's imaginative faculties were of such a magnitude as to invade his ocular sense: he literally saw what he fancied. Either way, Blake is far from a madman and closer to a genius; consequently, one can feel the grain of his life - as he lived it - passing under the fingertips as they turn the pages.

This biography is that rare thing amongst its kind that allows the reader to engage with the subject's life, as well as observe it; at times, it allows moments of genuine love for the pugnacious Londoner who remains so little understood. Alone, it will not grant an understanding of Blake's poetry or art, particularly his prophetic works; this is not Ackroyd's intention. Rather, it allows a reader (or, more accurately, 'the viewer') of Blake's work, either experienced or virginal, to approach them with the attention, engagement and willingness to understand that they both require and deserve.

a little too fawning to its subject matter, 01 Nov 2003
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.

I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.

I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.

Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

Even-handed and insightful, 29 Mar 2001
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.

Good on Blake, down on style, 26 Feb 2001
Ackroyd has a grand reputation as an auteur superbe, but in this book he finds himself to close to the subject to allow his normal objectivity to flow. Indeed, one might even say that Ackroyd is in love with Blake but at odds with his work

Marlowe at his best, 03 Sep 2001
This is a powerful play whereby Marlowe examines the humiliations that the King has to suffer due to his homosexuality. The reader begins to understand the great difficulty involved in balancing personal and political concerns, especially in centuries past. It sweeps the reader away into history, politics, corruption and controversy which exemplifies Marlowe at his best. I would recommend this play to anyone who has an interest in Renaissance culture or has enjoyed the works of Webster and Middleton & Rowley.

Moving and powerful, 06 Dec 2000
Marlowe's play about the gay king of England seems incredibly modern in its sympathetic representation of a homosexual man. Sure, Edward may get 'punished' for his crime (in the most hideous way imaginable), but Marlowe's sympathies are clearly with Edward, whose love scenes with Gaveston are poetic and touching. By contrast, Edward's overthrower, Mortimer is a cold-blooded villain, and he too gets his comeuppance. Compare this play with the supposedly modern film 'Braveheart', which vilifies Edward II's homosexuality, and you can see that Marlowe is ahead of his time even now.

Engrossing, 09 Jan 2009
I expected to hate this but found it extremely enjoyable-like meeting a fascinating stranger you wanted to talk to forever.

The only thing I found a little strange was that Gray's friend Harold Pinter,who is mentioned fondly in the book, was suffering from cancer of the oesophagus at the time of writing, which is most frequently an illness of heavy smokers (which I believe that Pinter was), yet Gray makes no mention of this in the context of his own struggle to give up smoking!
I am a smoker, but I am not in quite such denial as to the consequences as Gray apparently is!Rather a romanticised view of smoking, therefore.

Life as it is lived - with humour and insight, 05 Jul 2008
The Last Cigarette is the third volume of playwright Simon Gray's diaries which he began with The Smoking Diaries.back in 2004. Its not easy to categorise these books - I've chosen "diaries", for most of the time they record daily events over the course of a year or so, but also slip back to descriptions of events in the past. The free-form, conversational style gives the reader the impression that he's almost feel that you're listening to Simon Gray while chatting in a bar - which is not surprising because apparently he writes his diaries on an A4 pad, whenever he finds himself alone in a café, bar or hotel room.

The diaries contain a wide range of topics - descriptions of holidays in Greece and Barbados, the period when his play Butley was being produced on Broadway, stories about student days at Cambridge and early girlfriends, and underlying it all, Gray's love/hate relationship with cigarettes and his attempts to stop smoking. Needless to say, we never actually reach the "last cigarette" by the end of the book, despite countless struggles during earlier chapters.

What is so appealing about the books are their extreme, almost painful truthfulness. Gray makes no attempt to make himself seem a more attractive character. He describes his weaknesses and his failings with complete candour, and many readers will recognise their own behaviour in Gray's diaries.

This is not to say Gray's diaries are all introspective - far from it. There are many humerous sections, and I particularly enjoyed reading about the lost airline baggage, the Greek taxi-driver, the pest controller, and many other amusing episodes.

We also read of many of Gray's literary and theatrical friends, and it is moving to read of dinners with Harold Pinter and his wife Antonia Fraser during Pinter's illnesses. Gray gives many insights into Pinter's character, particulary his rages, which contrast so greatly with his general gentleness and tenderness. I think many of Gray's personal reminiscences of Pinter would provide important material for future biographers.

A final section of the book is set in Broadway, where Gray's play "Butley" was being revived, forty years after he wrote it. We read of a telephone call Gray receives from the producer while on holiday in Greece, asking if Gray could re-write the final scene in order to accommodate the deficiencies of one of the actors, who is having difficulty in mastering the correct English tone to his part. Gray knows in his gut that the real solution is to sack the deficient actor, but everyone on the cast speaks so warmly of him that he goes along with the re-write. This proves to be far more difficult than expected: by changing one line, you affect others, and by changing one act, you have to make sure that earlier acts are consistent with it, and so on. The re-write is typed on a tiny hand-held Blackberry in an hotel bed-room, and Gray rapidly sees that his initial compliance with the director's wishes in not insisting that the actor be fired is escalating out of control.

I find these "Smoking Diaries" beguiling, mostly because of their candour. The books almost give the reader permission to be "real". I seriously doubt that Gray had any outcome like this in mind when he wrote them, but by the end of each volume you might feel that you have felt that one other person at least messes up in the same way as you.

As good as Jeff Barnard, 08 Jun 2008
There is something similar about the Simon Gray diaries and Jeff Bernard's old Low Life column but this is if anything even more readable and it would be hard not to empathise with Gray. I love his observations and frank turn of phrase. His best installment yet. Hard not to love

York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius, 08 Aug 2005
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Certainly, they are the least understood.

This is partly because of the notion, common today as it was amongst Blake's contemporaries, that the poet-artist was, at best, an ultrasensitive whose work was not consciously or methodically thought out but merely reflected his changeable mood at the time of writing. Either that or he was a lunatic, and his work the ramblings of a lunatic; this view is, unfortunately, still common today.

Ackroyd's examination of Blake's life is important in that it aids in expelling this illusion, both by relating the nature of Blake's time and place to the artist's output, and by being willing to engage Blake on his own ground. For example, Ackroyd at times willingly entertains the veracity of Blake's frequent visions, which is an engaging angle for the reader seeking to penetrate fully into Blake's world (and an attitude less likely to be found in a more academic study). At others, he substitutes the notion that Blake's imaginative faculties were of such a magnitude as to invade his ocular sense: he literally saw what he fancied. Either way, Blake is far from a madman and closer to a genius; consequently, one can feel the grain of his life - as he lived it - passing under the fingertips as they turn the pages.

This biography is that rare thing amongst its kind that allows the reader to engage with the subject's life, as well as observe it; at times, it allows moments of genuine love for the pugnacious Londoner who remains so little understood. Alone, it will not grant an understanding of Blake's poetry or art, particularly his prophetic works; this is not Ackroyd's intention. Rather, it allows a reader (or, more accurately, 'the viewer') of Blake's work, either experienced or virginal, to approach them with the attention, engagement and willingness to understand that they both require and deserve.

a little too fawning to its subject matter, 01 Nov 2003
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.

I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.

I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.

Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

Even-handed and insightful, 29 Mar 2001
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.

Good on Blake, down on style, 26 Feb 2001
Ackroyd has a grand reputation as an auteur superbe, but in this book he finds himself to close to the subject to allow his normal objectivity to flow. Indeed, one might even say that Ackroyd is in love with Blake but at odds with his work

Marlowe at his best, 03 Sep 2001
This is a powerful play whereby Marlowe examines the humiliations that the King has to suffer due to his homosexuality. The reader begins to understand the great difficulty involved in balancing personal and political concerns, especially in centuries past. It sweeps the reader away into history, politics, corruption and controversy which exemplifies Marlowe at his best. I would recommend this play to anyone who has an interest in Renaissance culture or has enjoyed the works of Webster and Middleton & Rowley.

Moving and powerful, 06 Dec 2000
Marlowe's play about the gay king of England seems incredibly modern in its sympathetic representation of a homosexual man. Sure, Edward may get 'punished' for his crime (in the most hideous way imaginable), but Marlowe's sympathies are clearly with Edward, whose love scenes with Gaveston are poetic and touching. By contrast, Edward's overthrower, Mortimer is a cold-blooded villain, and he too gets his comeuppance. Compare this play with the supposedly modern film 'Braveheart', which vilifies Edward II's homosexuality, and you can see that Marlowe is ahead of his time even now.

Engrossing, 09 Jan 2009
I expected to hate this but found it extremely enjoyable-like meeting a fascinating stranger you wanted to talk to forever.

The only thing I found a little strange was that Gray's friend Harold Pinter,who is mentioned fondly in the book, was suffering from cancer of the oesophagus at the time of writing, which is most frequently an illness of heavy smokers (which I believe that Pinter was), yet Gray makes no mention of this in the context of his own struggle to give up smoking!
I am a smoker, but I am not in quite such denial as to the consequences as Gray apparently is!Rather a romanticised view of smoking, therefore.

Life as it is lived - with humour and insight, 05 Jul 2008
The Last Cigarette is the third volume of playwright Simon Gray's diaries which he began with The Smoking Diaries.back in 2004. Its not easy to categorise these books - I've chosen "diaries", for most of the time they record daily events over the course of a year or so, but also slip back to descriptions of events in the past. The free-form, conversational style gives the reader the impression that he's almost feel that you're listening to Simon Gray while chatting in a bar - which is not surprising because apparently he writes his diaries on an A4 pad, whenever he finds himself alone in a café, bar or hotel room.

The diaries contain a wide range of topics - descriptions of holidays in Greece and Barbados, the period when his play Butley was being produced on Broadway, stories about student days at Cambridge and early girlfriends, and underlying it all, Gray's love/hate relationship with cigarettes and his attempts to stop smoking. Needless to say, we never actually reach the "last cigarette" by the end of the book, despite countless struggles during earlier chapters.

What is so appealing about the books are their extreme, almost painful truthfulness. Gray makes no attempt to make himself seem a more attractive character. He describes his weaknesses and his failings with complete candour, and many readers will recognise their own behaviour in Gray's diaries.

This is not to say Gray's diaries are all introspective - far from it. There are many humerous sections, and I particularly enjoyed reading about the lost airline baggage, the Greek taxi-driver, the pest controller, and many other amusing episodes.

We also read of many of Gray's literary and theatrical friends, and it is moving to read of dinners with Harold Pinter and his wife Antonia Fraser during Pinter's illnesses. Gray gives many insights into Pinter's character, particulary his rages, which contrast so greatly with his general gentleness and tenderness. I think many of Gray's personal reminiscences of Pinter would provide important material for future biographers.

A final section of the book is set in Broadway, where Gray's play "Butley" was being revived, forty years after he wrote it. We read of a telephone call Gray receives from the producer while on holiday in Greece, asking if Gray could re-write the final scene in order to accommodate the deficiencies of one of the actors, who is having difficulty in mastering the correct English tone to his part. Gray knows in his gut that the real solution is to sack the deficient actor, but everyone on the cast speaks so warmly of him that he goes along with the re-write. This proves to be far more difficult than expected: by changing one line, you affect others, and by changing one act, you have to make sure that earlier acts are consistent with it, and so on. The re-write is typed on a tiny hand-held Blackberry in an hotel bed-room, and Gray rapidly sees that his initial compliance with the director's wishes in not insisting that the actor be fired is escalating out of control.

I find these "Smoking Diaries" beguiling, mostly because of their candour. The books almost give the reader permission to be "real". I seriously doubt that Gray had any outcome like this in mind when he wrote them, but by the end of each volume you might feel that you have felt that one other person at least messes up in the same way as you.

As good as Jeff Barnard, 08 Jun 2008
There is something similar about the Simon Gray diaries and Jeff Bernard's old Low Life column but this is if anything even more readable and it would be hard not to empathise with Gray. I love his observations and frank turn of phrase. His best installment yet. Hard not to love

Webster the Wonderful., 10 Sep 2007
Webster is scarcely known outside university departments and some enlightened secondary schools who have used him on A-level syllabuses. This is a pity...and a scandal. It means that he is vastly undervalued, if rated at all. His two main plays are great works of art and he is one of the very finest playwrights in existence. Read, and re-read.

Clear and concise - good for students., 26 Jan 2006
Clear layout with interesting insights from previous performances. It did feel a little as though it was being sponsored by one or two of them however, they were referenced so frequently.
Also, there was a distinct lack of information on the play's original performance, which most copies do have.

Learn to love tragedies!!!!, 10 Feb 2002
As a teenager English Literature is one of the most mind-numbing subjects to study - or so I thought until I was introduced to this book. Despite being written in a completely different period, each character would fit in perfectly with the world today, and has far more twists than any soap-opera or sit-com.
Perfect for all those wonderful people who find murder, incest, power seeking, lust, mad men singing and blatant insults even mildly amusing.

Get used to the Jacobean speech, and this is one hell of a play. Read this one, and then find yourself some more Webster!!!!!

Necessary background for Agatha Christie & Dorothy L. Sayers, 16 Sep 2001
My preferred version is the New Mermaids edition of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. Elisabeth M. Brennan edits this edition (ISBN: 0393900665.) I mention this, as it does not seem to be readily available. However this version will do.

I bought this after reading snippets of it in other books. I do not recall having to learn this in school. Only now do I intend to read "The White Devil" in anticipation of it being encountered in other works.

Well what do you know? This animal is based on a true story of the Duchess of Amalfi. Evidentially there were several books written on this and he picked one for the outline of the play.

The Elisabeth M. Brennan edition is almost as good as taking a class in its self. The introduction gives you a back ground and the basic story that the play was based on. You get some information on John Webster and some of his other plays. There is even a further Reading List. There are even notes on the text and how to read the notes for the different versions of the play its self. By the time you get to the play you are well prepared to read it.

The play its self has stanzas, line numbers and notes to help you through the difficulty of understanding what the words mean in context. It is almost like reading a bible. You soon pickup speed and then actually get intrigued in the writing and story.

Now I desperately want some local theater to present "The duchess of Malfi"

A witty and tearjerking tragicomedy- an Elizabethan must, 22 Apr 2001
This play is excitingly suprising in many respects. It couples hysterical comedie noire with many truly tragic moments in such a way that it leaves you wanting more. The reader is presented with the Machiavellian, the honourable, the lycanthropic and the sexually potent within the space of 5 short Acts. The play is rife with bad behaviour on the part of the author and the characters within, but in a manner that makes you want to read straight through to the end.

The injustice that presents itself within this play makes the reader want to right a wrong, whilst at the same time it makes you understand why the contemporary audience would have loved it so much. Overall, sensationalised Elizabethan Drama at its best!!!

York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius, 08 Aug 2005
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Certainly, they are the least understood.

This is partly because of the notion, common today as it was amongst Blake's contemporaries, that the poet-artist was, at best, an ultrasensitive whose work was not consciously or methodically thought out but merely reflected his changeable mood at the time of writing. Either that or he was a lunatic, and his work the ramblings of a lunatic; this view is, unfortunately, still common today.

Ackroyd's examination of Blake's life is important in that it aids in expelling this illusion, both by relating the nature of Blake's time and place to the artist's output, and by being willing to engage Blake on his own ground. For example, Ackroyd at times willingly entertains the veracity of Blake's frequent visions, which is an engaging angle for the reader seeking to penetrate fully into Blake's world (and an attitude less likely to be found in a more academic study). At others, he substitutes the notion that Blake's imaginative faculties were of such a magnitude as to invade his ocular sense: he literally saw what he fancied. Either way, Blake is far from a madman and closer to a genius; consequently, one can feel the grain of his life - as he lived it - passing under the fingertips as they turn the pages.

This biography is that rare thing amongst its kind that allows the reader to engage with the subject's life, as well as observe it; at times, it allows moments of genuine love for the pugnacious Londoner who remains so little understood. Alone, it will not grant an understanding of Blake's poetry or art, particularly his prophetic works; this is not Ackroyd's intention. Rather, it allows a reader (or, more accurately, 'the viewer') of Blake's work, either experienced or virginal, to approach them with the attention, engagement and willingness to understand that they both require and deserve.

a little too fawning to its subject matter, 01 Nov 2003
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.

I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.

I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.

Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

Even-handed and insightful, 29 Mar 2001
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.

Good on Blake, down on style, 26 Feb 2001
Ackroyd has a grand reputation as an auteur superbe, but in this book he finds himself to close to the subject to allow his normal objectivity to flow. Indeed, one might even say that Ackroyd is in love with Blake but at odds with his work

Marlowe at his best, 03 Sep 2001
This is a powerful play whereby Marlowe examines the humiliations that the King has to suffer due to his homosexuality. The reader begins to understand the great difficulty involved in balancing personal and political concerns, especially in centuries past. It sweeps the reader away into history, politics, corruption and controversy which exemplifies Marlowe at his best. I would recommend this play to anyone who has an interest in Renaissance culture or has enjoyed the works of Webster and Middleton & Rowley.

Moving and powerful, 06 Dec 2000
Marlowe's play about the gay king of England seems incredibly modern in its sympathetic representation of a homosexual man. Sure, Edward may get 'punished' for his crime (in the most hideous way imaginable), but Marlowe's sympathies are clearly with Edward, whose love scenes with Gaveston are poetic and touching. By contrast, Edward's overthrower, Mortimer is a cold-blooded villain, and he too gets his comeuppance. Compare this play with the supposedly modern film 'Braveheart', which vilifies Edward II's homosexuality, and you can see that Marlowe is ahead of his time even now.

Engrossing, 09 Jan 2009
I expected to hate this but found it extremely enjoyable-like meeting a fascinating stranger you wanted to talk to forever.

The only thing I found a little strange was that Gray's friend Harold Pinter,who is mentioned fondly in the book, was suffering from cancer of the oesophagus at the time of writing, which is most frequently an illness of heavy smokers (which I believe that Pinter was), yet Gray makes no mention of this in the context of his own struggle to give up smoking!
I am a smoker, but I am not in quite such denial as to the consequences as Gray apparently is!Rather a romanticised view of smoking, therefore.

Life as it is lived - with humour and insight, 05 Jul 2008
The Last Cigarette is the third volume of playwright Simon Gray's diaries which he began with The Smoking Diaries.back in 2004. Its not easy to categorise these books - I've chosen "diaries", for most of the time they record daily events over the course of a year or so, but also slip back to descriptions of events in the past. The free-form, conversational style gives the reader the impression that he's almost feel that you're listening to Simon Gray while chatting in a bar - which is not surprising because apparently he writes his diaries on an A4 pad, whenever he finds himself alone in a café, bar or hotel room.

The diaries contain a wide range of topics - descriptions of holidays in Greece and Barbados, the period when his play Butley was being produced on Broadway, stories about student days at Cambridge and early girlfriends, and underlying it all, Gray's love/hate relationship with cigarettes and his attempts to stop smoking. Needless to say, we never actually reach the "last cigarette" by the end of the book, despite countless struggles during earlier chapters.

What is so appealing about the books are their extreme, almost painful truthfulness. Gray makes no attempt to make himself seem a more attractive character. He describes his weaknesses and his failings with complete candour, and many readers will recognise their own behaviour in Gray's diaries.

This is not to say Gray's diaries are all introspective - far from it. There are many humerous sections, and I particularly enjoyed reading about the lost airline baggage, the Greek taxi-driver, the pest controller, and many other amusing episodes.

We also read of many of Gray's literary and theatrical friends, and it is moving to read of dinners with Harold Pinter and his wife Antonia Fraser during Pinter's illnesses. Gray gives many insights into Pinter's character, particulary his rages, which contrast so greatly with his general gentleness and tenderness. I think many of Gray's personal reminiscences of Pinter would provide important material for future biographers.

A final section of the book is set in Broadway, where Gray's play "Butley" was being revived, forty years after he wrote it. We read of a telephone call Gray receives from the producer while on holiday in Greece, asking if Gray could re-write the final scene in order to accommodate the deficiencies of one of the actors, who is having difficulty in mastering the correct English tone to his part. Gray knows in his gut that the real solution is to sack the deficient actor, but everyone on the cast speaks so warmly of him that he goes along with the re-write. This proves to be far more difficult than expected: by changing one line, you affect others, and by changing one act, you have to make sure that earlier acts are consistent with it, and so on. The re-write is typed on a tiny hand-held Blackberry in an hotel bed-room, and Gray rapidly sees that his initial compliance with the director's wishes in not insisting that the actor be fired is escalating out of control.

I find these "Smoking Diaries" beguiling, mostly because of their candour. The books almost give the reader permission to be "real". I seriously doubt that Gray had any outcome like this in mind when he wrote them, but by the end of each volume you might feel that you have felt that one other person at least messes up in the same way as you.

As good as Jeff Barnard, 08 Jun 2008
There is something similar about the Simon Gray diaries and Jeff Bernard's old Low Life column but this is if anything even more readable and it would be hard not to empathise with Gray. I love his observations and frank turn of phrase. His best installment yet. Hard not to love

Webster the Wonderful., 10 Sep 2007
Webster is scarcely known outside university departments and some enlightened secondary schools who have used him on A-level syllabuses. This is a pity...and a scandal. It means that he is vastly undervalued, if rated at all. His two main plays are great works of art and he is one of the very finest playwrights in existence. Read, and re-read.

Clear and concise - good for students., 26 Jan 2006
Clear layout with interesting insights from previous performances. It did feel a little as though it was being sponsored by one or two of them however, they were referenced so frequently.
Also, there was a distinct lack of information on the play's original performance, which most copies do have.

Learn to love tragedies!!!!, 10 Feb 2002
As a teenager English Literature is one of the most mind-numbing subjects to study - or so I thought until I was introduced to this book. Despite being written in a completely different period, each character would fit in perfectly with the world today, and has far more twists than any soap-opera or sit-com.
Perfect for all those wonderful people who find murder, incest, power seeking, lust, mad men singing and blatant insults even mildly amusing.

Get used to the Jacobean speech, and this is one hell of a play. Read this one, and then find yourself some more Webster!!!!!

Necessary background for Agatha Christie & Dorothy L. Sayers, 16 Sep 2001
My preferred version is the New Mermaids edition of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. Elisabeth M. Brennan edits this edition (ISBN: 0393900665.) I mention this, as it does not seem to be readily available. However this version will do.

I bought this after reading snippets of it in other books. I do not recall having to learn this in school. Only now do I intend to read "The White Devil" in anticipation of it being encountered in other works.

Well what do you know? This animal is based on a true story of the Duchess of Amalfi. Evidentially there were several books written on this and he picked one for the outline of the play.

The Elisabeth M. Brennan edition is almost as good as taking a class in its self. The introduction gives you a back ground and the basic story that the play was based on. You get some information on John Webster and some of his other plays. There is even a further Reading List. There are even notes on the text and how to read the notes for the different versions of the play its self. By the time you get to the play you are well prepared to read it.

The play its self has stanzas, line numbers and notes to help you through the difficulty of understanding what the words mean in context. It is almost like reading a bible. You soon pickup speed and then actually get intrigued in the writing and story.

Now I desperately want some local theater to present "The duchess of Malfi"

A witty and tearjerking tragicomedy- an Elizabethan must, 22 Apr 2001
This play is excitingly suprising in many respects. It couples hysterical comedie noire with many truly tragic moments in such a way that it leaves you wanting more. The reader is presented with the Machiavellian, the honourable, the lycanthropic and the sexually potent within the space of 5 short Acts. The play is rife with bad behaviour on the part of the author and the characters within, but in a manner that makes you want to read straight through to the end.

The injustice that presents itself within this play makes the reader want to right a wrong, whilst at the same time it makes you understand why the contemporary audience would have loved it so much. Overall, sensationalised Elizabethan Drama at its best!!!

Important but not quite there..., 14 Dec 2008
I enjoyed reading this book. I love Milton, love the period of the English Civil War and find the whole subject fascinating. This book is well researched, well written, informative and generally fair to Milton. However it is not a classic. At times it is ponderous. The literary analysis is excellent, the history ok but where the book struggles is with theology. It requires more depth and understanding in that department. Nonetheless I have throughly enjoyed reading 'Milton' and it has inspired me to go back to reading his poetry.

"So spake the false dissembler unperceived;
For neither man nor angel can discern
Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks
Invisible, except to God alone,
By his permissive will, through heaven and earth"
Paradise Lost III:681 1-5

"...unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.
Say heavenly powers, where shall we find such love,
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Man's mortal crime, and just the unjust to save,
Dwells in all heaven charity so dear?"
Paradise Lost III 2:10-16

good but where's the magic? , 08 Oct 2008
This is a very well written and excellently researched book, full of historical context and vivid narrative. My only major problem with the work is that, the mix of doubts by the author in regard to the man and his ideas coupled with an academic background has (in my view) created a work that lacks the magic that is found in biographies where the author is obviously inspired by the subject and wants to share the message of their life and work. I never got that sense from that book, except in some exploration of the poetry. Theres little sense of myth, legend or pathos here, which is a shame in light of the fact that the subject is one of our greatest poets.

York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius, 08 Aug 2005
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Certainly, they are the least understood.

This is partly because of the notion, common today as it was amongst Blake's contemporaries, that the poet-artist was, at best, an ultrasensitive whose work was not consciously or methodically thought out but merely reflected his changeable mood at the time of writing. Either that or he was a lunatic, and his work the ramblings of a lunatic; this view is, unfortunately, still common today.

Ackroyd's examination of Blake's life is important in that it aids in expelling this illusion, both by relating the nature of Blake's time and place to the artist's output, and by being willing to engage Blake on his own ground. For example, Ackroyd at times willingly entertains the veracity of Blake's frequent visions, which is an engaging angle for the reader seeking to penetrate fully into Blake's world (and an attitude less likely to be found in a more academic study). At others, he substitutes the notion that Blake's imaginative faculties were of such a magnitude as to invade his ocular sense: he literally saw what he fancied. Either way, Blake is far from a madman and closer to a genius; consequently, one can feel the grain of his life - as he lived it - passing under the fingertips as they turn the pages.

This biography is that rare thing amongst its kind that allows the reader to engage with the subject's life, as well as observe it; at times, it allows moments of genuine love for the pugnacious Londoner who remains so little understood. Alone, it will not grant an understanding of Blake's poetry or art, particularly his prophetic works; this is not Ackroyd's intention. Rather, it allows a reader (or, more accurately, 'the viewer') of Blake's work, either experienced or virginal, to approach them with the attention, engagement and willingness to understand that they both require and deserve.

a little too fawning to its subject matter, 01 Nov 2003
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.

I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.

I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.

Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

Even-handed and insightful, 29 Mar 2001
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.

Good on Blake, down on style, 26 Feb 2001
Ackroyd has a grand reputation as an auteur superbe, but in this book he finds himself to close to the subject to allow his normal objectivity to flow. Indeed, one might even say that Ackroyd is in love with Blake but at odds with his work

Marlowe at his best, 03 Sep 2001
This is a powerful play whereby Marlowe examines the humiliations that the King has to suffer due to his homosexuality. The reader begins to understand the great difficulty involved in balancing personal and political concerns, especially in centuries past. It sweeps the reader away into history, politics, corruption and controversy which exemplifies Marlowe at his best. I would recommend this play to anyone who has an interest in Renaissance culture or has enjoyed the works of Webster and Middleton & Rowley.

Moving and powerful, 06 Dec 2000
Marlowe's play about the gay king of England seems incredibly modern in its sympathetic representation of a homosexual man. Sure, Edward may get 'punished' for his crime (in the most hideous way imaginable), but Marlowe's sympathies are clearly with Edward, whose love scenes with Gaveston are poetic and touching. By contrast, Edward's overthrower, Mortimer is a cold-blooded villain, and he too gets his comeuppance. Compare this play with the supposedly modern film 'Braveheart', which vilifies Edward II's homosexuality, and you can see that Marlowe is ahead of his time even now.

Engrossing, 09 Jan 2009
I expected to hate this but found it extremely enjoyable-like meeting a fascinating stranger you wanted to talk to forever.

The only thing I found a little strange was that Gray's friend Harold Pinter,who is mentioned fondly in the book, was suffering from cancer of the oesophagus at the time of writing, which is most frequently an illness of heavy smokers (which I believe that Pinter was), yet Gray makes no mention of this in the context of his own struggle to give up smoking!
I am a smoker, but I am not in quite such denial as to the consequences as Gray apparently is!Rather a romanticised view of smoking, therefore.

Life as it is lived - with humour and insight, 05 Jul 2008
The Last Cigarette is the third volume of playwright Simon Gray's diaries which he began with The Smoking Diaries.back in 2004. Its not easy to categorise these books - I've chosen "diaries", for most of the time they record daily events over the course of a year or so, but also slip back to descriptions of events in the past. The free-form, conversational style gives the reader the impression that he's almost feel that you're listening to Simon Gray while chatting in a bar - which is not surprising because apparently he writes his diaries on an A4 pad, whenever he finds himself alone in a café, bar or hotel room.

The diaries contain a wide range of topics - descriptions of holidays in Greece and Barbados, the period when his play Butley was being produced on Broadway, stories about student days at Cambridge and early girlfriends, and underlying it all, Gray's love/hate relationship with cigarettes and his attempts to stop smoking. Needless to say, we never actually reach the "last cigarette" by the end of the book, despite countless struggles during earlier chapters.

What is so appealing about the books are their extreme, almost painful truthfulness. Gray makes no attempt to make himself seem a more attractive character. He describes his weaknesses and his failings with complete candour, and many readers will recognise their own behaviour in Gray's diaries.

This is not to say Gray's diaries are all introspective - far from it. There are many humerous sections, and I particularly enjoyed reading about the lost airline baggage, the Greek taxi-driver, the pest controller, and many other amusing episodes.

We also read of many of Gray's literary and theatrical friends, and it is moving to read of dinners with Harold Pinter and his wife Antonia Fraser during Pinter's illnesses. Gray gives many insights into Pinter's character, particulary his rages, which contrast so greatly with his general gentleness and tenderness. I think many of Gray's personal reminiscences of Pinter would provide important material for future biographers.

A final section of the book is set in Broadway, where Gray's play "Butley" was being revived, forty years after he wrote it. We read of a telephone call Gray receives from the producer while on holiday in Greece, asking if Gray could re-write the final scene in order to accommodate the deficiencies of one of the actors, who is having difficulty in mastering the correct English tone to his part. Gray knows in his gut that the real solution is to sack the deficient actor, but everyone on the cast speaks so warmly of him that he goes along with the re-write. This proves to be far more difficult than expected: by changing one line, you affect others, and by changing one act, you have to make sure that earlier acts are consistent with it, and so on. The re-write is typed on a tiny hand-held Blackberry in an hotel bed-room, and Gray rapidly sees that his initial compliance with the director's wishes in not insisting that the actor be fired is escalating out of control.

I find these "Smoking Diaries" beguiling, mostly because of their candour. The books almost give the reader permission to be "real". I seriously doubt that Gray had any outcome like this in mind when he wrote them, but by the end of each volume you might feel that you have felt that one other person at least messes up in the same way as you.

As good as Jeff Barnard, 08 Jun 2008
There is something similar about the Simon Gray diaries and Jeff Bernard's old Low Life column but this is if anything even more readable and it would be hard not to empathise with Gray. I love his observations and frank turn of phrase. His best installment yet. Hard not to love

Webster the Wonderful., 10 Sep 2007
Webster is scarcely known outside university departments and some enlightened secondary schools who have used him on A-level syllabuses. This is a pity...and a scandal. It means that he is vastly undervalued, if rated at all. His two main plays are great works of art and he is one of the very finest playwrights in existence. Read, and re-read.

Clear and concise - good for students., 26 Jan 2006
Clear layout with interesting insights from previous performances. It did feel a little as though it was being sponsored by one or two of them however, they were referenced so frequently.
Also, there was a distinct lack of information on the play's original performance, which most copies do have.

Learn to love tragedies!!!!, 10 Feb 2002
As a teenager English Literature is one of the most mind-numbing subjects to study - or so I thought until I was introduced to this book. Despite being written in a completely different period, each character would fit in perfectly with the world today, and has far more twists than any soap-opera or sit-com.
Perfect for all those wonderful people who find murder, incest, power seeking, lust, mad men singing and blatant insults even mildly amusing.

Get used to the Jacobean speech, and this is one hell of a play. Read this one, and then find yourself some more Webster!!!!!

Necessary background for Agatha Christie & Dorothy L. Sayers, 16 Sep 2001
My preferred version is the New Mermaids edition of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. Elisabeth M. Brennan edits this edition (ISBN: 0393900665.) I mention this, as it does not seem to be readily available. However this version will do.

I bought this after reading snippets of it in other books. I do not recall having to learn this in school. Only now do I intend to read "The White Devil" in anticipation of it being encountered in other works.

Well what do you know? This animal is based on a true story of the Duchess of Amalfi. Evidentially there were several books written on this and he picked one for the outline of the play.

The Elisabeth M. Brennan edition is almost as good as taking a class in its self. The introduction gives you a back ground and the basic story that the play was based on. You get some information on John Webster and some of his other plays. There is even a further Reading List. There are even notes on the text and how to read the notes for the different versions of the play its self. By the time you get to the play you are well prepared to read it.

The play its self has stanzas, line numbers and notes to help you through the difficulty of understanding what the words mean in context. It is almost like reading a bible. You soon pickup speed and then actually get intrigued in the writing and story.

Now I desperately want some local theater to present "The duchess of Malfi"

A witty and tearjerking tragicomedy- an Elizabethan must, 22 Apr 2001
This play is excitingly suprising in many respects. It couples hysterical comedie noire with many truly tragic moments in such a way that it leaves you wanting more. The reader is presented with the Machiavellian, the honourable, the lycanthropic and the sexually potent within the space of 5 short Acts. The play is rife with bad behaviour on the part of the author and the characters within, but in a manner that makes you want to read straight through to the end.

The injustice that presents itself within this play makes the reader want to right a wrong, whilst at the same time it makes you understand why the contemporary audience would have loved it so much. Overall, sensationalised Elizabethan Drama at its best!!!

Important but not quite there..., 14 Dec 2008
I enjoyed reading this book. I love Milton, love the period of the English Civil War and find the whole subject fascinating. This book is well researched, well written, informative and generally fair to Milton. However it is not a classic. At times it is ponderous. The literary analysis is excellent, the history ok but where the book struggles is with theology. It requires more depth and understanding in that department. Nonetheless I have throughly enjoyed reading 'Milton' and it has inspired me to go back to reading his poetry.

"So spake the false dissembler unperceived;
For neither man nor angel can discern
Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks
Invisible, except to God alone,
By his permissive will, through heaven and earth"
Paradise Lost III:681 1-5

"...unless for him
Some other able, and as willing, pay
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.
Say heavenly powers, where shall we find such love,
Which of ye will be mortal to redeem
Man's mortal crime, and just the unjust to save,
Dwells in all heaven charity so dear?"
Paradise Lost III 2:10-16

good but where's the magic? , 08 Oct 2008
This is a very well written and excellently researched book, full of historical context and vivid narrative. My only major problem with the work is that, the mix of doubts by the author in regard to the man and his ideas coupled with an academic background has (in my view) created a work that lacks the magic that is found in biographies where the author is obviously inspired by the subject and wants to share the message of their life and work. I never got that sense from that book, except in some exploration of the poetry. Theres little sense of myth, legend or pathos here, which is a shame in light of the fact that the subject is one of our greatest poets.

A very fine novel, 29 May 2008
I had to read this one at university, ten years ago, and it was my first taste of Hardy. I found it quite difficult to get though at first, mainly due to those long Hardy sentences, but undoubtedly it is a very fine novel, full of haunting and powerful images. I love, in particular, the way that Egdon Heath becomes almost a living, breathing entity.

The description of the Native's mother walking on the Heath in the scorching sun is one of the best pieces of writing I have read in the English language, and has stayed with me, as other vivid images from the book have done - even if I can't remember exactly how they fit in with the rets of the novel.

Let it grow on you, and you'll never forget the characters and setting, 17 May 2008
It took me a while to love this book. It was a set text for my A-levels, which is never the best way to meet a book, and the first chapter was not exactly encouraging. Hardy's language, which is filled with allusions to classical mythology, takes some getting used to. And the first chapter is entirely about a heath. Egdon Heath, and some references to obscure mythology for good measure. Throughout the school year, it grew on me - what melodramatic sixteen year old girl would not identify with melodramatic seventeen-year-old Eustacia Vye? - but it wasn't until I took it out in the sun and just simply read it without it being interrupted by class discussions that suddenly I realised I loved this book!

Rerurn of the Native is the story of two mismatched couples and a mother-in-law. Clym is the returning native, back from selling diamonds in Paris and disillusioned with that world. To Eustacia, who longs for excitement, he represents escape. Thomasin is Clym's cousin, a sweet country girl who has got herself entangled with Damon Wildeve, local rake. Oh, and Eustacia and Wildeve have history. And then there is Diggory Venn, an impoverished 'reddleman' (whose job it is to paint the colours on sheep!) one step outside society, who is Thomasin's staunchest and secret advocate.

I loved - if that's the right word - Eustacia's conflicts with Mrs. Yeobright, Clym's mother. The relationship between these two proud women, and a rather oblivious son, really rings true. The characterisation overall is fantastic, and every character is three-dimensional. We watch them fall out over misunderstandings and conflicts of interest, all the while empathising with each party. Even Wildeve, although you've got to love to hate him too.

I also loved the rural world that Hardy evokes, Egdon Heath, which it seems you can never really leave! It was interesting to read about that lost way of life, skimmity-riding and reddlemen! At times, it seems like the heath is alive and interacting with events and characters. A lot of the most important moments are deeply entrenched in the living nature of the heath. All very pagan, in keeping with the novel's intended purpose as a modern tragedy, in keeping with the traditions of Greek tragedy. The rustic characters are pretty funny too. I always smile when I think of Susan poking Eustacia with a knitting needle in church to see if she's a witch!

the ending is a shame, 18 Aug 2006
I studied this for my English AS-level and so obviously approached this novel in a cynical fashion. However, due to the study of the text and language and themes, I realised what a great work of literature this is.
The first chapter is off-putting: Hardy describing in great detail the setting for the story, Egdon Heath. However from there things become more interesting.
It is a tragic story. Eustacia Vye wishes to escape from Egdon Heath, she is an outsider viewed with suspicion by her fellow dwellers and indeed this is shown in the symbolic description of her solitude. She is infatuated with Wildeve who is smarmy and has failed to marry the naive Thomasin Yeobright, a quintessential country girl who is amiable in her nobility.
Enter Clym, who has come from the glamorous Paris. He is a diamond merchant who has become indifferent to the superficiality of his occupation and now wishes to become a teacher here in Egdon, much to his mother Mrs. Yeobright's and Eustacia's disgust.
Mrs. Yeobright is a typical Victorian mother. She is obsessed with status and relies on reputation for her well-being. Hence she is embarrassed at Thomasin's failed marriage. She also dislikes Eustacia especially when Clym and Eustacia become lovers and live together.
But because Eustacia wishes to escape she becomes annoyed with Clym and you wonder if she loves him or loves the opportunity presented by him originally. Clym becomes blind, symbolic perhaps of his blind ambition to teach at Egdon. Eustacia arranges to escape via Wildeve but becomes depressed and one night wanders across the Heath towards the Weir. It is unknown if she commits suicide or simply falls but she drowns in the weir after the failed efforts of Clym and Wildeve, who also drowns.
Hardy originally intended the story to end here and the title of my review suggests a disappointingly happy ending to a tragic story. His publishers told him to write a chapter focussing on Thomasin and Diggory Venn, a reddleman who is constantly rejected by Mrs. Yeobright and Thomasin simply for being of his lower status. They marry and have a child together called Eustacia. It is a happy ending for the two philanthropists but still this does lose some of the tragic theme.
The book then is a great work of tragic literature that has characters that represent the class-conscious, the superficial, the outcasts, the sufferers, the dreamers and the naive lovers.


Wonderful read, 20 Jul 2006
This book is one of Hardy's finest; it invokes the landscape better than any of his other novels, particularly Egdon Heath and the people living at, and on its edges. The scenes using the heath are outstanding - the bonfire which is used to "summon" Clem to Eustacia, the games of dice which end up using the light from glow-worms, and the dreadful deadly walk over the heath by Clem's mother in high summer are just tremendous. The novel requires insight and probably doesn't suit adolescents; but for adults, I recommend it.

Good, but not his best, 17 Jan 2006
This novel is a highly enjoyable story that evokes a vast scope of emotions, from laughter to fear. As to be expected from Hardy, there are moments of astonding beauty in his writing and in the images he manifests.

However, despite its numerous merits, this novel must be considered a failure. This was Hardy's attempt at tragedy, hence the inversed Oedipus complex of Clym and Mrs Yeobright and the pitiful downfall of Eustacia. It does not, however, have the power to evoke within the reader the necessary pity or fear to the secure its place within the category of 'great' novels. There are also moments when Hardy's narrative becomes littered with phrases and terminology that serve little purpose other than to flaunt his auto-didacticism to the educated urban readers of his generation.

I am a fan of Hardy and recommend this book to anyone but to be left truly satified from a work of his read Far from the Madding Crowd or Jude the Obscure (don't expect to be satisfied in the conventional sense on finishing this)... or better still, his poetry.

York Notes Advanced on "Dr.Faustus", 17 Jan 2005
This book is excellent, if you are doing the LTA3 exam then you should buy this. I just re took the exam and this book helped a lot. After reading this you gain more of an understanding and begin to appreciate the text. ITS EXCELLENT.

"Damned art thou,damned; despair and die!", 01 Mar 2004
I, personally, found the text fairly confusing. In my mind, often after reading through a scene find myself thinking that something completely different has happened. These notes are great for clearing up any confusions and also provides names of other sources to get a deeper understanding of the text as Marlowe wrote it. Characterisations explanations are hugely helpful. A definite for anyone, even my lecturer teaches from it.

A lyrical and entrancing portrait of an enduring genius, 08 Aug 2005
Blake's prophetic books are, in proportion to their length and literary importance, amongst the least read texts within the body of English Literature. Certainly, they are the least understood.

This is partly because of the notion, common today as it was amongst Blake's contemporaries, that the poet-artist was, at best, an ultrasensitive whose work was not consciously or methodically thought out but merely reflected his changeable mood at the time of writing. Either that or he was a lunatic, and his work the ramblings of a lunatic; this view is, unfortunately, still common today.

Ackroyd's examination of Blake's life is important in that it aids in expelling this illusion, both by relating the nature of Blake's time and place to the artist's output, and by being willing to engage Blake on his own ground. For example, Ackroyd at times willingly entertains the veracity of Blake's frequent visions, which is an engaging angle for the reader seeking to penetrate fully into Blake's world (and an attitude less likely to be found in a more academic study). At others, he substitutes the notion that Blake's imaginative faculties were of such a magnitude as to invade his ocular sense: he literally saw what he fancied. Either way, Blake is far from a madman and closer to a genius; consequently, one can feel the grain of his life - as he lived it - passing under the fingertips as they turn the pages.

This biography is that rare thing amongst its kind that allows the reader to engage with the subject's life, as well as observe it; at times, it allows moments of genuine love for the pugnacious Londoner who remains so little understood. Alone, it will not grant an understanding of Blake's poetry or art, particularly his prophetic works; this is not Ackroyd's intention. Rather, it allows a reader (or, more accurately, 'the viewer') of Blake's work, either experienced or virginal, to approach them with the attention, engagement and willingness to understand that they both require and deserve.

a little too fawning to its subject matter, 01 Nov 2003
I have really enjoyed Ackroyd's writing in the past. His London Biography, in particular, is an outstanding book.

I had, therefore, high hopes for his life of Blake, the 18th century visionary being a famous Londoner and a fascinating man.

I was a little disappointed. It's certainly learned and well researched (though it eggregiously overuses the word "vouchsafe"), but seems to skip over a number of important points: for one thing, Ackroyd hints darkly the Blake may have had misogynistic tendencies, but then declares "this isn't the place for a discussion of such things". Well, if a balanced biography isn't, I don't know what is.

Additionally, Ackroyd is somewhat credulous in his desire to portray Blake as a misunderstood genius, rather than a somewhat troubled individual. Serious credence is given to statements that certain people in Blake's circle (including, to an extent, Blake himself) were clairvoyant, whilst on the other hand short shrift is given to far more credible notions: such as that Blake - a man given to regular visions of angels and saints, after all - might have been mentally ill. Blake's behaviour may have been that of a genius, but is equally explainable as that of a flat-out nutcase, which appears to have been the general consensus of the time (and might partly explain Blake's lack of success during his own life).

Even-handed and insightful, 29 Mar 2001
This is well worth a read. The reader may gain a greater insight into Blake from the events of his life, which are relayed in detail. And furthermore from Ackroyd's empathetic and even-handed treatment of Blake the man, who one feels, will always be more than the sum of his actions. Particularly good for those who only know Blake the poet rather than the painter, the illustrations and engravings are given lots of attention and there are quite a few pictures to view.

Good on Blake, down on style, 26 Feb 2001
Ackroyd has a grand reputation as an auteur superbe, but in this book he finds himself to close to the subject to allow his normal objectivity to flow. Indeed, one might even say that Ackroyd is in love with Blake but at odds with his work

Marlowe at his best, 03 Sep 2001
This is a powerful play whereby Marlowe examines the humiliations that the King has to suffer due to his homosexuality. The reader begins to understand the great difficulty involved in balancing personal and political concerns, especially in centuries past. It sweeps the reader away into history, politics, corruption and controversy which exemplifies Marlowe at his best. I would recommend this play to anyone who has an interest in Renaissance culture or has enjoyed the works of Webster and Middleton & Rowley.

Moving and powerful, 06 Dec 2000
Marlowe's play about the gay king of England seems incredibly modern in its sympathetic representation of a homosexual man. Sure, Edward may get 'punished' for his crime (in the most hideous way imaginable), but Marlowe's sympathies are clearly with Edward, whose love scenes with Gaveston are poetic and touching. By contrast, Edward's overthrower, Mortimer is a cold-blooded villain, and he too gets his comeuppance. Compare this play with the supposedly modern film 'Braveheart', which vilifies Edward II's homosexuality, and you can see that Marlowe is ahead of his time even now.

Engrossing, 09 Jan 2009
I expected to hate this but found it extremely enjoyable-like meeting a fascinating stranger you wanted to talk to forever.

The only thing I found a little strange was that Gray's friend Harold Pinter,who is mentioned fondly in the book, was suffering from cancer of the oesophagus at the time of writing, which is most frequently an illness of heavy smokers (which I believe that Pinter was), yet Gray makes no mention of this in the context of his own struggle to give up smoking!
I am a smoker, but I am not in quite such denial as to the consequences as Gray apparently is!Rather a romanticised view of smoking, therefore.

Life as it is lived - with humour and insight, 05 Jul 2008
The Last Cigarette is the third volume of playwright Simon Gray's diaries which he began with The Smoking Diaries.back in 2004. Its not easy to categorise these books - I've chosen "diaries", for most of the time they record daily events over the course of a year or so, but also slip back to descriptions of events in the past. The free-form, conversational style gives the reader the impression that he's almost feel that you're listening to Simon Gray while chatting in a bar - which is not surprising because apparently he writes his diaries on an A4 pad, whenever he finds himself alone in a café, bar or hotel room.

The diaries contain a wide range of topics - descriptions of holidays in Greece and Barbados, the period when his play Butley was being produced on Broadway, stories about student days at Cambridge and early girlfriends, and underlying it all, Gray's love/hate relationship with cigarettes and his attempts to stop smoking. Needless to say, we never actually reach the "last cigarette" by the end of the book, despite countless struggles during earlier chapters.

What is so appealing about the books are their extreme, almost painful truthfulness. Gray makes no attempt to make himself seem a more attractive character. He describes his weaknesses and his failings with complete candour, and many readers will recognise their own behaviour in Gray's diaries.

This is not to say Gray's diaries are all introspective - far from it. There are many humerous sections, and I particularly enjoyed reading about the lost airline baggage, the Greek taxi-driver, the pest controller, and many other amusing episodes.

We also read of many of Gray's literary and theatrical friends, and it is moving to read of dinners with Harold Pinter and his wife Antonia Fraser during Pinter's illnesses. Gray gives many insights into Pinter's character, particulary his rages, which contrast so greatly with his general gentleness and tenderness. I think many of Gray's personal reminiscences of Pinter would provide important material for future biographers.

A final section of the book is set in Broadway, where Gray's play "Butley" was being revived, forty years after he wrote it. We read of a telephone call Gray receives from the producer while on holiday in Greece, asking if Gray could re-write the final scene in order to accommodate the deficiencies of one of the actors, who is having difficulty in mastering the correct English tone to his part. Gray knows in his gut that the real solution is to sack the deficient actor, but everyone on the cast speaks so warmly of him that he goes along with the re-write. This proves to be far more difficult than expected: by changing one line, you affect others, and by changing one act, you have to make sure that earlier acts are consistent with it, and so on. The re-write is typed on a tiny hand-held Blackberry in an hotel bed-room, and Gray rapidly sees that his initial compliance with the director's wishes in not insisting that the actor be fired is escalating out of control.

I find these "Smoking Diaries" beguiling, mostly because of their candour. The books almost give the reader permission to be "real". I seriously doubt that Gray had any outcome like this in mind when he wrote them, but by the end of each volume you might feel that you have felt that one other person at least messes up in the same way as you.

As good as Jeff Barnard, 08 Jun 2008
There is something similar about the Simon Gray diaries and Jeff Bernard's old Low Life column but this is if anything even more readable and it would be hard not to empathise with Gray. I love his observations and frank turn of phrase. His best installment yet. Hard not to love

Webster the Wonderful., 10 Sep 2007
Webster is scarcely known outside university departments and some enlightened secondary schools who have used him on A-level syllabuses. This is a pity...and a scandal. It means that he is vastly undervalued, if rated at all. His two main plays are great works of art and he is one of the very finest playwrights in existence. Read, and re-read.

Clear and concise - good for students., 26 Jan 2006
Clear layout with interesting insights from previous performances. It did feel a little as though it was being sponsored by one or two of them however, they were referenced so frequently.
Also, there was a distinct lack of information on the play's original performance, which most copies do have.

Learn to love tragedies!!!!, 10 Feb 2002
As a teenager English Literature is one of the most mind-numbing subjects to study - or so I thought until I was introduced to this book. Despite being written in a completely different period, each character would fit in perfectly with the world today, and has far more twists than any soap-opera or sit-com.
Perfect for all those wonderful people who find murder, incest, power seeking, lust, mad men singing and blatant insults even mildly amusing.

Get used to the Jacobean speech, and this is one hell of a play. Read this one, and then find yourself some more Webster!!!!!

Necessary background for Agatha Christie & Dorothy L. Sayers, 16 Sep 2001
My preferred version is the New Mermaids edition of The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster. Elisabeth M. Brennan edits this edition (ISBN: 0393900665.) I mention this, as it does not seem to be readily available. However this version will do.

I bought this after reading snippets of it in other books. I do not recall having to learn this in school. Only now do I intend to read "The White Devil" in anticipation of it being encountered in other works.

Well what do you know? This animal is based on a true story of the Duchess of Amalfi. Evidentially there were several boo